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Philosophy Essay Assignment
What type of philosopher are you? Many different philosophies align with childhood
education including perennialism, essentialism, romanticism, and progressivism. After carefully
analyzing each philosophy, I have concluded that my viewpoints best align with romanticism.
Since I was a young child all I wanted to do was play outside and get hands-on learning.
Therefore, I believe every child learns best through an experimental approach that is designated
to the children's beliefs and interests. Even though my viewpoints best align with those of
younger children, I believe that older children and adults can learn from this approach. “They
perceive learning to be guided by student interests, romantics do not advocate the establishment
of a set or common curriculum of study” (Ryan, Cooper, Bolick, 2016, Those Who Can, Teach).
Do you have a classroom of students who just want to move around and talk to their
friends? Using a romanticism approach there are a variety of techniques that can captivate your
students' learning. One of the most effective approaches among teachers is hands-on learning.
For instance, students who might be talking in a class about how diverse nature is might take a
field trip to a state park. Students could then use the different animals they see in nature to
express themselves. The teacher with a Romanticism approach might create games like a
scavenger hunt to prevent boredom and to keep students engaged not only with learning but with
other classmates who they might not be familiar with. Encouraging communication among peers
has a positive effect on people as they enter the workforce as it promotes effective
communication.
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Schools change over the years just like us as humans. In today's society and the increase
of standardized testing teachers often feel pressured that there is too much material to cover and
not enough time within the school year, which creates a fast-paced environment. When learning
about topics students can not relate to students often feel unengaged and are more willing to
resent. For example, a student who is reading a book is more likely to finish faster if they are
interested in what they are reading. Incorporating each student's passions and interests, students
are more likely to be engaged. For example, students writing an essay on a topic they are
interested in will make students more excited and involved in their studies. According to the
textbook, "Much of the learning is self-directed and self-guided by the students, with teachers
serving as sources of information or resources to help the students satisfy their curiosity rather
than functioning as taskmasters or authorities on knowledge" (Ryan, Cooper, Bolick, 2016,
Those Who Can, Teach).
We all dread this when the end of the school year comes around, standardized testing.
Standardized testing was developed to analyze and compare students to each other by giving
each student the same questions. Standardized testing can only gauge what can be asked on paper
and does not include any student's talents and gifts. There are many different forms of
standardized testing but two common ones across the United States that most students face in
high school are the ACT and SAT. With standardized testing, students are often scaled on a
narrow list of skills that most of the time will not showcase each student's full potential. Each
Standardized test is based on a curriculum of material that is designed for the student's grade
level which will also include material from previous years. “There are no formal lessons, no
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books to read or facts to memorize, no specific curriculum to learn” (Ryan, Cooper, Bolick,
2016, Those Who Can, Teach).
In the realm of childhood education, many philosophers, including Jean-Jacques
Rousseau, have paved the way for romanticism. Their philosophy provided insight into how to
maintain children's interest in a fun learning environment while striving for the highest potential
for each student. Using these methods we can engage children in their learning while talking
about a topic the children are interested in making learning an enjoyable task.
